The Divergent
by IFYOUCOULDFLY
Summary: Kaelina was only 14 when she discovered she was Dragonborn. She is forced to isolate herself from the world, living in the wilderness as an outcast. And then the dragons return. Now, she's thrown back into Skyrim at the age of 20, where she finds herself caught between 4 different guilds AND the Greybeards. But does she really belong anywhere? Or is she just a divergent?
1. The First Dragon

**A/N: OLAF! IT'S ME, IFYOUCOULDFLY! Okay, so yeah. Cursed. The Ensis story. Sorry, but right now, I can't continue that story. My computer crashed, and took all the files with it (including Cursed), so until it's fixed, I can't continue.**

**If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then cool. Welcome to a little project I've been thinking about for a while now, and I just felt like writing it. So, here you go. Not much else to say, except that I do ****_not _****own Skyrim, or any of the Elder Scrolls games and characters. Nor will I ****_ever_****. That being said, please, read on :)!**

"Rise and shine!"

I groaned, stuffing my face deep into my pillow. _"Don't wake up," _I thought, squishing my eyelids shut. _"It's so warm in bed."_

"Kae, hurry up already! Unless, of course, you want Jaymin going hunting by himself..."

At that, my eyes shot open. A faint glow surrounded the darkened room, the glow of sunrise. In my book, that was _much _too early to be waking. Even after three years, I couldn't manage to heave myself out of bed on time.

I glanced upward, where Mei, my best friend, stood, a triumphant grin spread across her face.

"There you go. That wasn't so hard, was it? Now come on. I want eggs for breakfast this morning, and you'd better get me some."

With that, she barreled out the door and into the chilly air of the Reach, her long, honey locks trailing after her. Despite my dreary state, I nearly laughed. Even at 5:00 in the morning, Mei had enough energy to run the length of Skyrim's border twice.

After pulling myself out of my bedroll, a difficult task in itself, I ambled over to the half-broken dresser and tugged out the typical uniform; worn-out leather armor.

I gave a little sigh, running my finger along the spiderweb pattern of tiny cracks that ran through the hardened leather.

"One day," I whispered to myself, "I will make this place the most beautiful in all of Skyrim. In all of Tamriel. I just need the money."

Once I had pulled the armor on, shoving my feet into the too-large boots, I glanced at the mirror on the wall.

It could be hardly a mirror at all, really. One day at dusk, Poarch had hauled in a massive mirror, and we had all been amazed, wondering where he would put it. Instead, he took his old sword and cut the mirror into rough chunks for each of us.

So really, I glanced at the _chunk_ of mirror on the wall. A girl of about twenty stared back.

Long, dark curls fell just past my shoulders, contrasting strangely with my pale skin. Large eyes, filled with swirling colors of blue and gray and green, shadowed over a small nose and mouth. My ears, the tips just barely poking out of my slightly tangled mass of hair, were slightly pointed at the ends, though I was truly an Imperial. That was what my father was. They probably came from my my Wood Elf mother.

I breathed, the freezing air forming pale whisps of air that curled around the room until fading away to nothingness. I could be pretty, I had long ago decided, but never beautiful. If I were beautiful, my skin would have the same sunkissed tone of Mei's. If I were beautiful, I would have a warm smile, instead of the slight frown I always wore. If I were beautiful, I wouldn't have that faint white scar running from just beneath the edge of my left eye to the bridge of my nose.

I shook my head, whipping my head around to the open window. Faint, yet vibrant, shades of pink and orange burst across the horizon, and I knew the sun would follow.

"_Shit_," I cursed under my breath, grabbing my hunting bow, which lay across the wooden chest full of all my belongings.

I dashed out the door and into the clearing, ready to start the day.

As usual, I felt a surge of determination wash over me as I looked around Slen.

That was the name of this place. Slen. I couldn't quite call us a village, or a town, or a camp. We were just that: _Slen_. The word was in the Dragon Tongue, and meant "lost". That was us. We were the lost.

There are twenty-four of us in total. All of us come from different backgrounds, with different personalities and beliefs, but we all shared one thing in common: we were the rejects. Those who didn't belong in society. They either didn't want us, or they wanted to kill us, or, in my case, wanted to use us.

When we couldn't find a place in Skyrim, we found a place with each other. In the beginning it was just Jaymin and Larkly, and they built this..._community _in the rugged landscape of the Reach. Away from those who sought to bring us down.

Now, there twelve shacks layed out in a circle around a clearing. In the center was a firepit, and the only border between us and the dangers of Skyrim's wilderness was a thick ring of clustered trees.

This had been my home for the past six years. Sure, it was difficult. We had twenty-four people, two of them children, living in the middle of _nowhere_ with no connection to civilization, and we had to find a way to care for them. Still, it was my home, and we managed to keep Slen as productive as Whiterun itself. At least, Whiterun when I last visited. I hadn't seen the place since I was fourteen, after all.

We worked different sorts of jobs. Poarch and Larkly were suppliers for Khajiit caravans that would often pass through Markarth, and they brought back all sorts of trinkets from their trades. Mei and Harpen were farmers, growing all the food we needed. Rava and Yema were our best thieves, slipping down to Markarth at sunset and arriving the next morning with hefty sacks of stolen goods.

And then there was me and Jaymin, the hunters. We were the best in the group with weaponry, and had been hunting partners for six years, supplying Slen with enough rabbits, foxes, and deer to help keep us alive and healthy. Between Jay's sword and my bow, we were unstoppable.

Jaymin, Mei, and I protested daily that _no_, Slen did not have a "leader", we led ourselves as a team, but we all knew that wasn't true. The other twenty-one looked up to us three, and we guided them naturally.

I loved it here. I really did, with all my heart.

"So are you just going to _stand_ there, Kae, or will we set out?"

I whipped around to see, of course, Jaymin, his mouth spread into a toothy grin. I rolled my eyes, but ran to him, falling in step beside him as we plunged into the dense forest.

"Rava came back yesterday saying the marketplace is buzzing with rumors of a huge den of bears, enough to feed us for weeks. Of course, Rava's not exactly the most _reliable _source of information, but it's worth checking out." Jay began, his voice a deep, quiet hum.

I nodded. "Any ideas where?"

I watched as his brow furrowed his mouth tightening into a grim line. "Dangerously close to us, it sounds like. The fool who spotted it, a _poacher,_" he spat the word with disgust, though that was exactly what _we _were, "was near the falls, as the rumor goes, when he was chased out by five bears at once."

My eyes widened fractionally. I knew the forests and mountains of the Reach like the back of my hand. Every cliff, every tree, every _pebble_ was accounted for. I knew right where the falls were. About a mile from Slen, sure, but that was far too close for us. If we were found out, we'd all be forced to return to our lives within the walls. Some of us would be sent to a life behind _bars._

"Let's go, then." I announced hurriedly. "We'd better get rid of these bears before people come out looking for them."

Jay nodded, the familiar glint of mischief returning to his stormy-gray eyes. "That's what I like to hear, Kaelina. Let's go!"

We set off along the hilltops, managing to easily slay three birds and two rabbits along the way before, finally, we arrived at the falls.

A low, moss-coated cliff loomed over a small pool of water. From the top of the cliff, three streams of water showered down into the pool, the droplets sparkling in the wavering light that beamed from the newly risen sun.

"Look for tracks." I muttered, keeping my voice low, and he nodded, kneeling down and gently examining a yellow-and-orange leaf.

I crept along the banks of the pool, making no sound at all as I went. Jay and I were the hunters. Making the slightest noise could cost us a kill, which could cost us a meal, which could cost us somebody's health. Therefore, once a weapon was in our hands, we became sabre cats, padding along the frost-covered ground with the swiftness of the mountain wind and the silence of Death itself.

And then, I spotted it. From behind a cluster of trees, hidden from our sight, there was a deep indentation in the earth. I approached - and gasped.

It was a massive print, one I had never seen before, with the size of a mammoth's print and the talons of a bear's. And even more peculiar, the shape of a lizard's.

A small suspicion had nestled its way into the pit of my stomach, and I found it hard to breathe. _"No," _I told myself silently, _"that's not possible." _To my dismay, another part of my mind shot back, _"as impossible as __**you **__being..."_

I never even finished my thought.

"Oh, my gods!" I heard Jaymin shout, and all the breath flew from my lungs.

A shadow fell over the falls, blurring out the feeble light of the slowly climbing sun, sending my world plunging into chaos.

I turned, a million decades passing by each millisecond...and saw it.

Its head, a great and wicked image, was narrow and bony, coated in a layer of shimmering bronze scales, its teeth, sharp as daggers, jutting out from its snarling mouth. Two twisted horns sat atop its head, a crest of spines trailing down its scaled neck.

The feet matched the print perfectly, massive talons ready to tear at them. From its torso fell a long, spiked tail, swinging back and forth with each beat of its wings. Oh, and its _wings_.

The bony outline of what could have been a hand held a thin layer of stretched skin in place. In some areas, the skin was ripped, battle scars from previous adventures. They beat back and forth endlessly, causing it to hover just feet above me and Jaymin.

It wasn't possible. Dragons didn't exist. All those years, me wandering, and I'd never known there were really dragons. Not even that day in Bleak Falls Barrow. Not even then.

But here it was, in all its glory, a _dragon_.

And its eyes were hungry.

"Kae, move!" Jay screamed, and I snapped out of my shock as a ball of fire hurtled towards me. I dodged neatly, but the heat hit me in waves, my skin boiling.

The dragon let out a roar of pure fury, shattering the sky and even sending a boulder tumbling off the nearby cliff.

I knew what I had to do, but I'd promised myself I'd never do it again. Six years ago, I promised. For the safety of these people I loved...

"Argh!" Jay screamed, and I watched as he narrowly missed a ball of flames.

A wave of rage and panic washed over me. "Screw it." I muttered under my breath.

With all the courage I had in myself, I stood, tall and proud, and stared the dragon in the eye. And, with all the strenghth I possessed, I shouted.

"FUS, RO DAH!"

**A/N: Soooooooo...how you like it? Hehe I'm trying for something a little different here, something long and cool I can work on for a while, and I'm hoping you guys enjoy this :) Anywho, thank you sooo much for reading, and it would help me out A LOT if you would leave me a review! Keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	2. Kaelina's Goodbye

**A/N: OLAF! IT'S ME, IFYOUCOULDFLY! Soooo just to clear some things up, this story does not include Helgen, but begins after the dragons came back. Cool beans? Cool beans. Okay, now that I've said that, please, read on!**

The dragon recoiled, its body flung backwards into the cliffside. It was weak, and I wasted no time.

Without hesitation, I grabbed an arrow from my quiver and shot the beast directly in its heart.

It gave a roar of agony before collapsing to the forest floor, dead.

I stared at the body for a moment before I turned to face Jaymin.

He was gaping at me, emotions flashing through his sky-blue eyes faster than I could recognized them. Shock, awe, confusion, fright, and...hurt.

"Look, Jay," I began, begging my voice not to waver, "I can explain."

But I couldn't. I was cut off by the roaring sound that filled my eardrums.

I spun around and watched in awe as the dragon's body began to glow with the faint orange of a sunset, scales lifting off the shining silhouette and floating off into nothingness. Tendrils of light shot out from the dragon's corpse, moving towards me with a mysterious sort of serenity I couldn't place. I was not afraid, I couldn't be. This was far too beautiful.

The whispy rays of light reached me, filling my whole body with a warmth I hadn't felt in years. The warmth of a blazing fire in the hearth, and laughter and family and love. I felt as if I could sprout wings of my own and fly away, just like a dragon.

And then, all too soon, the warmth faded, and a pile of pearly-white bones lay before me.

Despite the situation, I nearly laughed in hysteria. This was it. For six years, I'd managed to bury my past. And now it was over. I was over. If anyone in Slen would even speak to me anymore, I may find a way to carry on.

Wincing, I turned around to meet Jaymin's eyes. My heart fell to my chest at his horrified expression.

"What...what are you?"

* * *

Twenty-two faces stared back at us, eyes wide.

Silence.

Mei burst into laughter, and the rest of them followed. "Good one, Kae." She cried. "Really, though, I'd like something to eat, and that rabbit over there has my name written all over it. Let's go."

I nearly screamed in frustration. "I'm serious!" I protested, and Mei rolled her auburn eyes. "Just how dumb do you think we are, Kae? Nevermind, don't answer that."

Despite the situation, I grinned, and Jay stepped in.

"Everybody, Kaelina's telling the truth. I saw it with my own eyes." He stared out into the group, and I could see question appear in their eyes.

"If you're Dragonborn," A woman named Solina challenged, "then shout."

I glanced uneasily at Jay, and his eyes spoke the words, "Go ahead."

So I did.

With a shaky breath, I inhaled, and shouted off into the trees. "FUS, RO DAH!"

Honestly, it felt good to shout. All this energy, raw and frighteningly powerful, had been trapped inside me for years, desperately seeking release.

Yet, at the same time, it was terrifying. True, these were the people I'd called family for six years, but for fourteen, that had been the Blackbloods...

"No." I told myself fiercly, _"These people are _not_ the Blackbloods."_

Still, as I turned to face the people of Slen, butterflies flitted around my stomach. No, screw that. A whole damn spriggan was buzzing around in there.

I gazed out at the crowd. At my family. Some looked shocked, some confused, some just plain amazed. Of course, Mei was the first to speak.

"OhmygoshKaewhattheheckwhydidn'tyoutellmeohmygoshmybestfriendisthedragonbornwhyinOblivionwouldn'tyoutellmewha-"

Despite myself, I smiled. "Calm down, Mei. Really, I may be able to shout, but you could squeal any dragon to death."

She stopped for a moment, her hazel eyes wide, before breaking into a grin.

"Oh my gosh. This is so cool. So did you really see a dragon? What was it like?"

I glanced at Jaymin, who took a deep breath before beginning, painting the image of the dragon within their minds.

I watched the different expressions pass over each of their faces. Amazement, disbelief, excitement, shock.

I let out a silent sigh of relief. They didn't hate me. _"If I were them, I'd hate me."_ I thought, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Kae? Kaelina? Hello?"

My eyes shot open and met Jay's grey ones. "Um, what was that?" I mumbled, and he rolled his eyes.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked. "I mean, you're Dragonborn, aren't you? What do you from here?"

I tensed. Here it was. For six years, I'd mapped out what might happen if they ever found out, how I'd regain their trust and try to make everything work out, to return to normal.

But I'd never expected a dragon.

I knew what I had to do, of course. The problem was, I didn't want to do it.

Out there, I'd made my life work only because I was strong. Proud. Brave. But by the time Jay and Mei found me, I'd become timid. Sure, I stood by my beliefs, and would never back down, but I wasn't brave. Not like I needed to be.

Still, I knew what I had to do.

"I have to leave." I tried desperately to speak the words with finality, with firmness, but my voice came in a harsh croak.

I felt forty-six eyes upon me. A silence filled the clearing, and I found myself wishing more than anything that it would pass. _"Let them shout at me, say they hate me, anything. Just end this silence."_

Finally, my pleas were answered by, of course, Mei.

"Why?" She asked, her sweet voice coated in sadness, her eyes large and watery. She was worse than a puppy begging for scraps.

I sighed. "If the dragons are here, that means the legends are true. And if the legends are true, I'm the only person that can stop them. I don't want to leave, trust me. More than anything, I'd like to stay. But it's my duty as Dragonborn to protect Skyrim, and I've already failed that. I...ran away. To here. I can't fail them again."

More silence followed.

"That is the brave thing to do, Kaelina. You are brave."

I turned to see Lenna, the eldest of us all. She smiled up at me, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and I smiled back, relieved.

_"Yes,"_ I decided, _"this is my real family."_

* * *

My things were packed.

The air seemed colder now, and I had a feeling it wasn't just the setting sun to blame. The whole village had a solemn air hovering over it.

We owned two horses in Slen, two geldings named Blu and Storm. My parting gift from Jay was Blu.

Now, I'd said goodbye to nearly everybody in camp. All except for two.

Mei flung herself at me, nearly strangling me to death.

"Come back as soon as you can." She choked, her voice wavering. "And when you can't, write letters. I excpect a letter a month at least, you hear?"

Mei pulled away, a single tear dripping down her face, and it was enough to shatter my heart.

"I'll be back, Mei. I'll visit as often as I possibly can. And I'll write a letter a day, if that's what it takes." I promised, a sad smile spread across my face.

She nodded vigorously, and then smiled. "Lots of luck. I just know, Kae, you're going to be a hero."

And then she was running back to the home we share. Used to share.

And then there was Jay.

"Are you sure you're okay with me taking Blu? I know he's always been you're favorite..." I trailed off, trying not to burst into pathetic tears in front of him. I was Dragonborn. I couldn't cry anymore.

He nodded. "He'll love it. I think as much as he loves it here, he'd rather be roaming. Take care of him."

"Jay," I said, my voice trembling, "thank you."

He blinked, confused. "For what?"

"Being my hunting partner. And my friend. And...for saving me." I croaked, tears pooling in my eyes, threatening to drop.

I didn't elaborate. He didn't know what I'd gone through before he found me, bleeding and on the verge of death, six years ago. I hadn't told anybody.

He didn't even ask. Instead, he stepped toward, closing the small gap between us, and whispered, "You're welcome, Kae."

And then Jay's lips were on mine.

It wasn't long, or slow, just a gentle kiss, but it was enough to send electricity shooting down my spine.

Jay stepped up away just as suddenly as he had kissed me, and, after a moment of looking just as shocked as I felt, he smiled, his eyes softening.

"Goodbye, Kae. I'll see you soon." He turned and walked away, back to the moonlit campsite, shuffling alone in the snow.

I wanted to say something, anything, but I couldn't.

Instead, I vaulted over Blu's back and smirked.

"Let's go get 'em, Blu."

**A/N: Okie dokie artichokie :) I hoped you liked this chapter, and if you did, I would just love it if you took the time to review! It means the world to me, it really does. But really, if you even took the time to read this story, then I'm super grateful :D Anyways, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


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